"First, allow me to introduce the participant representing humanity!" Heimdall's booming voice drew the audience's attention in one direction.
"The man who insisted the battlefield be set in the streets of London!" Heimdall's tone carried a hint of disdain, though he forced himself to remain professional.
"His existence came to light when he emerged in the midst of the darkness of a grim August night in the year 1888 AD."
As Heimdall spoke, an oppressive aura began to permeate the amphitheater.
It was not as noble or commanding as the presence displayed by Poseidon during his battle.
Nor did it carry the same level of overwhelming pressure as Zeus in his Adama form against Adam.
And, of course, it lacked the destructive force of Thor's presence.
The only word that perfectly described the being perceived by the amphitheater's audience, as they watched the silhouette walking through the streets of London, was: darkness.
"What was he seeking in the streets of London with his sharpened blade that night? Did he merely wish to take the lives of five prostitutes?" The god furrowed his brow during his speech.
But Heimdall pressed on.
"No! Was he seeking to tear apart a particular social class? Not that either!"
The god took a deep breath, while the audience held theirs, gripped by the inhuman aura emanating from the shadowy, masked figure.
Finally, Heimdall's truth rang out.
"What this man desired above all in the darkness of London was to sow terror in the hearts of honest citizens!"
"For he is evil incarnate!"
At Heimdall's words, Jack's murderous intent manifested in all its glory.
(Image)
The man born of sin briefly allowed a glimpse of his madness to be felt by both mortals and gods.
"This man is the most infamous serial killer in human history… his name is—"
The elegantly dressed man Heimdall was presenting paused at the critical moment of his introduction.
He gracefully removed his mask, dispelling the aura of murder laced with madness that had surrounded him, much to the relief of the weaker spirits in the amphitheater.
"Jack the Ripper!"
The mask Jack had worn for his dramatic entrance shattered on the ground as his name was announced.
At that moment, spectators from both the divine and mortal sides rose from their seats, voicing their outrage and anger.
Unlike the previous two, this was no war hero, no father, and certainly no celebrated martial artist of his time.
This was a criminal.
"Calm yourselves! Mr. Jack is not here to be judged, but to participate in Ragnarök!" Heimdall declared, attempting to quell the crowd—to no avail.
It took the intervention of several angels to restore a semblance of calm in the amphitheater.
'All this is that man's fault, with his murderous intent…'Heimdall thought, barely containing his divine anger.
The Norse god was right.
Jack's aura was not directed solely at his future opponents or even at Heimdall himself; it targeted everyone.
Humans, celestial beings, gods—no one was spared.
Normally, a man as cautious as Jack would not have acted this way.
'I need to put more pressure on them, or else—' The killer ignored the insults raining down on him and fixed his gaze on the two other entrances leading to the arena.
In the original timeline, he had contented himself with letting a sliver of his malice slip through.
But this time, Doma's interference had pushed the killer to take his "bad cop" game further.
He still wanted to keep his cards hidden but force others to overestimate his strength.
Jack might have struggled to understand himself, but he was an exceptional liar and manipulator, thanks to his eyes.
The power to see emotions was his gift for reading people, but this time, the London killer knew it wouldn't be enough.
He also had to play his role to perfection on the stage that the streets of London and his opponents would present to the audience.
"On the other side…" Heimdall's voice broke Jack's train of thought as he gestured toward a portal in the arena.
The audience's attention was immediately captured by the sound of hooves and the wheels of a chariot echoing through the arena.
"He carries on his shoulders the heavy burden of avenging the affront suffered in the previous duel!" At the word "affront," the divine side of the audience roared with enthusiasm and rage at the thought of vengeance.
Even if Poseidon could seem like a wretch, he was more respected than feared by the other gods.
This man embodied the ideal that all other gods aspired to achieve, particularly among the Greek partisans.
"He is rumored to have inherited the strength of Zeus and defeated the Nemean Lion and Cerberus, guardian of the underworld, with his bare hands!" Speaking of the next fighter's exploits, Heimdall adopted a respectful tone.
A tone distinctly different from the one used for Jack.
"He is the man who was offered access to Olympus despite his demigod nature after triumphing in the Twelve Labors!"
The roars of enthusiasm from the audience and the Norse god's voice reached their peak:
"Illuminating the heavens and earth with his flame and thirst for justice, I name: the great, the mighty, Heracles!!!" he roared, pointing to the demigod of legendary feats.
(Image)
"Brunhilde… is this your choice to represent humanity…?" muttered the demigod, bearer of the blood of the king of the Greek gods.
Heracles didn't linger on Jack, ignoring the crowd's praises.
His eyes, burning with fury, naturally turned to Brunhilde's former position, but she was not present as she had been in previous Ragnarök rounds.
A clear act of cowardice, as she refused to witness the death of a close friend due to her decisions.
'Lü Bu was a respectable warrior, Adam an exemplar, but…' He expressed the rest of his thoughts aloud.
"You dared to choose a murderer," he growled, tightening his grip on his adamantium mace.
"This isn't just…" he said through gritted teeth.
Injustice.
If there was one thing the former human named Alcides despised, it was that.
Since his youth, Heracles had loathed inequality and injustice among men.
Yet, back then, his frail constitution prevented him from changing anything.
So, he relied on his indomitable will.
When others took the easier path and turned away from reality, Alcides took the steep road.
He failed countless times and suffered brutal setbacks, but he never gave up.
The young mortal continued to stake everything on his faith in justice for all, and one day, he stood against Ares and his weapon with no real support from his kind.
What weapon did he wield against the divine army?
A wooden staff and his will.
Many would speak of Zeus's blood, but Alcides survived ambrosia thanks to his will, tempered by all the trials of mortal life.
That is why the poison seen by Ares and other mortals was an elixir to the young man.
Alcides became Heracles not through strength, but through his will.
That same indomitable will, aspiring to true justice for all races.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I…" Before Heimdall could begin presenting the fourth round's intruder, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"W-what?! Hold on a moment, who are you?" The god was as startled as the audience, but the Ice Miko handed a note to the Norse god.
'Hmm… he's giving me the freedom to present him as I see fit, but these are his personal details.' He quickly finished reading the message brought by Doma's Miko and repositioned his microphone.
"Ahem… my apologies for the abrupt interruption, but it was indeed necessary."
After dispelling the awkwardness, the god opened his mouth wide and began introducing the final candidate.
"Last but not least, the participant Zeus-sama himself designated as his number one fan!"
Heimdall's powerful voice echoed through the amphitheater, captivating everyone's attention once more.
At the mention of Zeus's number one fan, the divine side first erupted in enthusiasm before quickly recalling Heimdall's earlier words.
The final participant was meant to dedicate their victory to the side of their choosing, so they weren't truly one of their own.
"I still don't understand why Father agreed to this farce…" Ares said from the VIP room.
Unfortunately, Zeus had not yet arrived due to his injuries.
Adam had left him in a pitiful state after deactivating his Adama form.
"That's why you couldn't see Father's blow against Adam," Hermes muttered nearby, overhearing Ares's words.
(Image)
"Did you say something?"
"No, nothing… but I'm eager to see how this event unfolds."
Hermes flashed a mysterious smile that Ares didn't catch the meaning of.
'Tch… I don't get why the old man likes this guy and that other narcissist…' the god of war thought, as the image of the absent sun god resurfaced in his mind.
Ares didn't exactly have a harmonious relationship with his brothers, but he respected their strength.
The only family members he respected beyond their power were his mother, his father, Hades, Poseidon, and Heracles.
Even as his mind wandered to the unfair treatment he felt from his family, the Norse god had resumed his speech in the arena.
"He claims to be the elder of a forgotten sect from this era and to have renounced his humanity!"
A cold wind swept through the streets of London as a silhouette slowly advanced into the arena, shrouded in icy mist.
"His existence is unknown to our celestial archives, but he claims to embody the inevitability of fate itself!"
A heavy aura spread throughout the stadium. The mist thickened, completely veiling the new fighter's appearance.
All the gods present furrowed their brows at the information Heimdall relayed.
A mortal who claimed to have abandoned his humanity, exuding divine power no less potent than that of the gods, yet carrying the stench of a demon…
An anomaly.
"Mom… I-I'm cold…"
"Don't worry, it's just snowing."
"What? Snow? But the climate is supposed to be controlled during Ragnarök!"
Voices rose among the audience as the temperature plummeted sharply.
Yet, the powerful gods and certain spiritually sensitive mortals were unfazed by this mere meteorological detail.
Their focus locked onto a specific point Heimdall had mentioned during his introduction.
Heracles and Jack's opponent was a former human.
A seemingly trivial piece of information, but for those who truly knew the history of the gods, this revelation was startling.
All of Valhalla already knew Doma was a demon—a single glance was enough to confirm it.
His abandonment of humanity thus seemed logical, almost expected.
But something was off.
A divinity emanated from him, one that the demonic stench could not conceal.
Of course, this divinity fully manifested upon his entrance into the arena.
'Is he like Kintoki?'Brunhilde thought, clenching her teeth with worry. This hypothesis boded ill.
All the powerful gods instinctively understood the same thing: Doma had a direct connection to a primordial entity.
Odin's eyes gleamed with an unsettling light, and his searing aura melted the wintry chill caused by the demon.
'Could he be like me?' the Allfather mused, a cryptic smile slowly forming on his lips.
Heimdall, unaware of the shock and tension Doma's information had sparked in the higher celestial spheres, continued his speech with a vibrant voice.
"He is the shadow leader of the Eternal Paradise Cult and the demon of fate. I name: Doma!"
The mist concealing the demon's silhouette gradually dissipated, and the icy air calmed as Doma finally revealed himself to the spectators.
The audience held its breath at the demon's appearance, unable to tear their eyes away from this presence that was both beautiful and terrifying.
Satan's aura was not a friendly divinity but evoked death and evil.
This element sharply contrasted with Doma's appearance.
As Heimdall spoke his name, the ice demon gently raised his head, a playful smile floating on his lips.
"Hoho… Perhaps I let a bit too much of my divinity slip out. I hope you're not too intimidated," he said in a deceptively light tone, elegantly opening his two icy fans.
It was a clear sign: he had no intention of underestimating his opponents and would go all out from the start.
'I know their fighting styles, but they know nothing of mine,'he thought, calmly observing Jack and Heracles.
The ice demon fully intended to end his round using all the newfound power he had acquired.
Satan's will was already reacting to the idea of eliminating the lesser lifeforms daring to occupy the world of the primordial gods.
…
Author's Note: Today's chapter will be released for 300 stones, so I'm counting on you. And yes, having a connection with a primordial god is not well received in the ROR universe.